Family Holiday at Christmas and New Years: Julio and his team were amazing. In Cartagena he set up our transport, a city tour. All his guides were very good. The most amazing thing is how he jumped in and helped us when one of our group got a passport stolen. He was right there to help us at all turns. If you plan to go to Colombia I give Julio and his team my highest recommendation.
Chiva Tour Cartagena
Shared tour in a classic chiva
See Cartagena, and meet some new friends!
Spanish-only half-day tour
Hop on a chiva, and allow Cartagena to be revealed before your eyes
A chiva is a colorful, open bus that used to serve as a main form of public transportation in Cartagena, and on this tour, you get to ride in one, just like a local. Meet a new friend, and feel the tropical breeze graze your skin as you cruise through the streets of Cartagena from one must-see to the next.
What you'll see
Zapatos Viejos (“old shoes”) monument
The Castle of San Felipe
India Catalina
Bocagrande & Manga neighborhoods
Las Bóvedas (“the vaults”) and its artisanal market
Click the tabs to find out more
Tour details
Tour details
Price:
$39 USD per person
Departure times:
Between 1:45 & 2:30PM
Meeting point:
Hotel Dorado Plaza in Bocagrande, Cra. 2 #441, Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia
Availability:
Year-round, every day (unless otherwise indicated)
Duration:
4 hours
Group size:
1 – 20 (depending on how many people have already booked)
Included:
• Spanish speaking guide
• Shared transport in a chiva
• Medical insurance
Not included:
Personal expenses, tips, entrances to the Castle of San Felipe and La Popa Monastery
What to bring:
Comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
Note: we recommend bringing a raincoat or poncho if rain is in the forecast (though this is quite unlikely).
Overview of your tour
Your journey around Cartagena in the traditional chiva with other tourists begins in Bocagrande, where you will meet your team for the afternoon. You’ll stop at the essential monuments, like the Castle of San Felipe and the Bocagrande and Manga neighborhoods, all the while your local guide tells you about them. This wild ride is the best way to get into the Caribbean spirit — the colors of the bus perfectly complement the colorful city and culture.
Good to know
This tour is shared, but it is also safe so that you feel comfortable roaming around the area. Enjoying the company of others is how we like it here in the Caribbean!
The guides on this tour are local and know their way around the city quite well.
Medical insurance is included in the price of all of our tours, so we have you covered in the unlikely event of an accident.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this tour and the Shared Party in Cartagena Tour as well as the Rosario Islands Tour are exceptions to the rest of our tours and are not private. This is a great opportunity to meet new friends in Cartagena!
The guide leading this tour is not a member of our team, so this tour is only available in Spanish. If this isn’t right for you, feel free to check out our other private tours in Cartagena, all of which are available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, and Russian (languages other than English and Spanish come at an additional cost).
Since this tour is not “ours” so to speak, the cancellation policy differs from that of our own. In the case of needing to cancel or reschedule, please get in touch with us at reservas@colombiatraveloperator.com.
Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page!
See what previous tour-goers have said
Amazing tour and amazing tour guide (Julio)! My first tour in Colombia and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The sites were amazing and the food was incredible. Thanks to our guide Julio for going above and beyond to making sure we had a great time.
I would like to give special thanks to Kelly for planning my itinerary for Cartagena and Bogota – she also arranged my airport transfers in both cities, my full day tour in Cartagena was amazing! We fell in love with the walled city, such beautiful buildings and great restaurants. Kelly gave us some really good restaurant recommendations and we also enjoyed the trip to fort San Felipe.
